SCCA Club Racing is putting out a much stronger directive than in past years for precise participation numbers in National races. With 30 National classes and only the top 24 to be accepted for the Runoffs, the Club Racing department is emphasizing to us Pointskeepers the increased importance of absolutely correct data. Itï¿½s our job to collect this data. Race results are the basis of that data.

At stake is which classes get to go to the Runoffs and which do not.

What this means to you is the importance of correct results, primarily in the listing of DNS drivers.

Drivers who are finishers (including DQ) are no problem. Those who are DNF are usually no problem either -- except for the importance of making sure a DNF with zero laps (broke or wrecked on the first lap) is exactly that and not a lazy indicator of someone who was really DNS.

Hereï¿½s the big deal:

* A driver listed as DNS who SET A QUALIFYING TIME is included in the car count.

* A driver listed as DNS who DID NOT set a qualifying time (even if he participated in untimed practice) is NOT included in the car count -- however, he IS included for purposes of insurance, travel fund, trophy fund because that driver HAS been on-track, has by doing so put the insurance at risk, and you keep his entry fee.

Thus, it now becomes critically important to list DNF and DNS drivers correctly.

But more, I also now need to know exactly the situation for the DNS -- Did he qualify? Did he get on the track but break in practice? Did he never show up?

If he never showed up, he should not even be on the results. He was never there. If he paid an entry fee, it should probably be refunded. But some races have everyone who entered listed on the results and they sort it out after the race. This works for me if youï¿½re diligent and quick about letting me know who to cross off. You have a financial incentive too -- you donï¿½t owe trophy fund, travel fund, or other such fees for the no-shows.

But if the driver went on the track at any time covered by the sanction, even if he broke on the first lap of practice, he has put the insurance at risk, you keep his entry fee, and everybody gets their cut. Iï¿½ve been that driver, its no fun, but from the organizing regionï¿½s or groupï¿½s perspective it is how the business must be done.

But now I need to know: DID HE POST A QUALIFYING TIME? That is the critical question to provide SCCA the car-count data it requires.

You could do this by just sending me qualifying pages along with race results, but to me that is just a lot more paperwork, duplication of effort and busywork for me to learn something you already know. But if thatï¿½s the method that works best for you, then do it.

Ideally I would prefer the information to be on the race results themselves.

First, be diligent about differentiating DNFs and DNSs. A DNF with zero laps *started the race* but failed to complete his first lap -- a DNS never started (even if he broke on the pace lap).

Second, separate the DNSs who qualified from those who did not. I suggest two methods:

1. You could do this merely by an asterisk by the driverï¿½s name and the note below (ï¿½* Did Not Qualifyï¿½).

2. You could list the not-qualified driver as DNQ (Did Not Qualify) rather than DNS.

It was brought to my attention that three drivers who were DNS at the Memphis National, presented the precise example of the situation. It is a situation not uncommon in MiDiv races where we do Regional/National weekends. All three probably should not have been on the National results at all. All three entered both the Saturday Regional and the Sunday National. At least one, maybe two, drove in the Saturday Regional, but did not go the full distance (presumably broke). None drove the Sunday National. Saturday morningï¿½s session was both qualifying for the Regional and practice (but not qualifying) for the National.

What probably should have happened: The fact the drivers were entered in both the Regional and the National means their National entry could have been wiped out entirely since they broke on Saturday -- they were never on track during a period not covered by the Regional sanction. They paid $255 Regional/National entry fees, and could have been refunded $50 (the Region keeping the $205 Regional entry fee). And they should never have appeared on Sundayï¿½s results.

What did happen: They did appear on Sundayï¿½s results, the Region paid $33 in National Trophy Fund fees for them and presumably Travel Fund and Insurance fees as well.

But what if? What if the DNS driver was ONLY entered in the National race but still drove that Saturday morning session? In that case the only sanction covering his on-track session is the National race. He was practicing for the National, but not qualifying for the Regional. His entry fee is kept, all National fees (trophy fund, travel fund, etc) must be paid. But he would be listed on the National results as DNQ or DNS*.

Another option: Time everything. Time all the drivers in that Saturday session and those entered in the National get to use that time as a qualifying time (whether or not they also use it as a qualifying time for the Regional). This has the added benefit that all those drivers are included in the car count (except the poor sap who broke on his first lap and becomes the only DNQ possibility). That could be important for a class thatï¿½s on the cusp of making it to the Runoffs or not.

I have to say that over the years, MiDiv T&S people have been super about the results they produce. I hear tales from other divisions about T&S difficulties that just do not happen in our races. One Divisionï¿½s pointskeeper is still waiting for results from a race that happened a month ago. In todayï¿½s electronic world, I usually have results in hand within 24 hours from our people. They really make my job easy for the most part in that I almost never need to get anything on results ï¿½fixedï¿½ before I can begin to do my job of scoring the points. All the needed information is there and in a logical and concise format. It is a joy working with the information you provide.

Yes, SCCA keeps tossing in this or that they want changed or added -- member numbers, lap times, yada yada, and now this. Knowing how MiDiv has responded in the past, I know this latest wrinkle will be no problem (grumbling is allowed).

Itï¿½s all part of the reason MiDiv is known as the Friendly Division. Thank you all for your help. If anyone has questions, don't hesitate to ask.